


A New Kind of Home

by SisterWine



Category: Copyrighted 2018, Original Work
Genre: Casino Business, Dealing With Arizona Heat, Dealing With Divorce, Dirty Family Secret, F/M, Gay Male Character, Gay family, Gen, Iguana Named Ziggy, M/M, Straight Family, Tolerances in Love, Two Sides of Family, bitter ex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-04-22 05:04:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14301393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SisterWine/pseuds/SisterWine
Summary: Disclaimer: This is an original fiction story. The characters in this story are mine and my own idea. No moneys earned. I do NOT sell, trade or buy stories. Any similarities to living or dead is strictly coincidental. DO NOT PLAGIARISE!Summary: A newly divorced father struggles to adapt his two teenage children into his new life with Lee, a young mechanic living in Arizona. While Steven contends with his ex-wife and ex-life, in Chicago, Lee deals with his own family drama as his family's competition discovers Lee's secret.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> For the long lost friend.

Prologue

Marana, Arizona

The door to the small reception area of the shop opened and a man entered, immediately glancing to his left, around the small waiting room for other patrons. Gratefully, he found it empty. Turning his head back to the right, as he heard movement from the clear glass door seaparting the waiting room from the shop, he saw a man dressed in a black polo with white collar and a shop logo on his left breast with his name just underneath it. Walking over to the tall countre that sat only a few steps away, he placed his briefcase on the white tiled floor beside him and cleared his throat. "Hi, the tow truck is unloading my car, out front. I think there's a problem with the radiator. Is anyone available to look at it, right now?" He sighed, tiredly as the man behind the desk listened to his problem and then turned to check the computer, to the man's left, befor answering. 

"I've got one person ahead of you and their almost done so, I can have Danny take a look at it, just as soon as he pulls this one out." The man named "Trevor" looked up from the screen and smiled at the weary and uncomfortable customer. Short, curly black hair and a summer tan looked almost comfortable in the ungodly heat of southern Arizona. A tall, toned man had seen his time under the multitude of engines, surviving the heat, even though he they were inside a shop, by working around an ossilating fan and chugging down gallons of cool water. "It shouldn't take more than about fifteen, twenty minutes."

Checking his watch and sighing in frustration, the man agreed and dropped his car keys on the countre. "That's fine. About how long will it take to fix it?" He realised how abrupt he sounded but he found himself anxious to get back on the road and head to his meeting, in town.

Trevor opened his mouth and turned back to look at the red Jeep Wrangler coming down from being raised. He turned back to the man and guesstimated a time limit as he checked the time on the computer screen. "We close in forty-five minutes and that's at least an hour to four hour job, depending on the damage. I'll have Danny look at it and we'll go from there. Let's get you set up, shall we?" He turned to the computer and typed up a work order before looking over at the man in the business suit and tie and asking his name. "Can I get your name, sir?"

His attention focused on the jeep coming down on the hydrolic lift and the red-haired tech that opened the car door and climbed into the driver's seat. "Uh, Steven. Dawson." A quick glance back to Trevor before watching the young technician back the jeep out of the spot.

Trevor typed the information the man had given him, to include the address of the motel Steven was staying at before telling him his smoky gray SUV was next and that he could have a seat in the small waiting room, if he chose. "Help yourself to some water or coffee, if you like." He smiled again and then turned to the small sliding window that slid open as the red-haired tech handed his boss the keys to the jeep, along with the paperwork he had completed. "Got one more. Radiator blew on the Excursion." As Trevor dropped the keys into the tech's hand, he picked up the paperwork and keys to the jeep and looked it over before turning to pick up the phone and call the absent customer to let them know their vehicle was done.

Reaching down to pick up his briefcase, he heard the tech slide the window closed and turn to yell at a second tech about how much longer he had on an old mustang. Standing up again and trying to see the second male voice, Steven quickly gave up his search as his thirst took hold. He cleared his throat and then asked Trevor is there was wifi available.

"Certainly. It's under the shop's name and use the code as the password." Trevor pointed to the small triangle-shaped card on the table, next to the tall coffee urn and cups that sat next to the television set on the all-day news channel.

Steven walked over to one of six retro-styled black cushioned chairs with the tall, thin back and a metal handle over the top. He sat down and placed his black laptop bag on his lap, as the strap that hung on his right shoulder was beginning to get heavy. He set the briefcase down, beside him and looked up as he watched his SUV drive slowly around the side of the building and into the vacated spot the jeep was in. With his back to the wall, sitting on the middle chair, in a row of three, he couldn't see the mechanics in the shop but he heard them talking and changing tools as the metal hit the ground next to them with a loud clatter. He used the given network and passcode and wrote a few emails before shutting down and taking out his mobile from his jacket pocket, which he had removed and draped over the back of the chair next to him. He checked his missed calls and called several of his customers back, apprising them of the current situation and then rescheduling for another day.

At the thirty minute mark, Trevor came back into the reception area and sat down on a chair adjacent to Steven and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and taking a breath. "So, Danny was able to find the source of the problem and it looks like your hoses are cracking and your seals are leaking. It's about a hour or so job but, we open at seven so, I can put my best guy on it, tomorrow morning. If that's okay?"

Steven replaced his mobile to his jacket pocket and sighed. "Yea, that's fine. I'm new to the area so, could you call a cab?" He ran a hand through his hair and thought about the next few extra steps he had to take to get through his work week. He figured this was some inside joke or a welcome to Nowhereville initiation that he just wandered into. He thought that if he listened hard, he would be able to hear the erie music that was often followed by Rod Serling announcing the reality shift into a warped and creepy world, but it wasn't and Rod Serling had yet to appear.

"Sure. I can do that. Give me a couple of minutes and we'll get ya on your way." Trevor stood up and made his way back to the desk to finish his paperwork on Steven's SUV before calling a cab when the redhaired tech named Danny walked into and placed his completed paperwork on the desk, behind the raised portion of the countre. "Alan coming in, in the morning?" He looked up at the tech before the man disappeared back into the shop.

Danny, whose voice was slightly deeper than Trevor's, hummed a moment in thought before answering. "Marc. Said he's makin' up extra time. Alan's on call for the tow." Danny's body tone fit his voice as he was short and stocky but well-muscled. He wiped the extra grease from between his fingers on the red rag he kept in his back pocket before stuffing it back into it's holder.

Gathering his things and placing them on the chair next to him, Steven stood up and walked to the window between the shop and the reception area and stared at his SUV, closed up and parked in the same spot it was placed in. He had been staring at it for some time before a car horn honked, from outside, and brought him back to where he stood. He turned and made his way to gather up his belongings before tossing an acknowledgement, over his shoulder, to Trevor and heading out the door and into the waiting cab.

##

The next morning, Steven rolled out of bed and hurried to get ready while he called for the cab company to take him back down to the shop. He figured, the earlier he got there, he could gauge how long it would take for the work to be done and he could just drive it from there. He had cleared his morning and hoped his car would be done in somewhat decent time. Yet, he wasn't sure of these mechanics and had only gone off of the listing his phone search had given him for the closest mechanic. By the time the cab pulled up in front of the mechanic's shop, he found the bay door already open and the hood of his SUV up. The sun had just fully made it into the sky and started to heat the cooled air, colouring the sky in pastel pinks and blues and yellows. 

Steven checked his watch, barely seven in the morning. Trevor hadn't even opened the reception room door yet. Shutting the caab door after paying and stepping out, he heard it pull away as he made his way over to the open bay door and peered in. "Hello?" He had to repeat it several times before the technician poked his head out from under the hood and gave him a questionable look. Over the sounds of the retro rock music, Steven looked around for anyone else in the shop before stepping forward, to stand next to his rear left tire. "Are you open?" He tossed a nod to the reception area.

The tech grabbed a rag, spotted and striped with dark spots of grease and oil, and wiped his hands as he stepped around the side of the SUV and came closer to hear the man better. "I'm sorry..?" A faded tan baseball cap turned backward shielded most of his dirt blond or golden brown hair. The sweat-dampened ends lined the bottom of the cap like a ruffled fur trim. He was tall but not overly and toned, even though most of his form was hidden under the gray overalls he wore. 

"Are you open?" Steven repeated it louder as the tech stepped forward. 

The tech looked over to the shop, checking the clock on the wall, above the door leading in and then back to the man standing in front of him. "Yea, he should be in there. Didja need some help?" The tech turned his head to one side to better hear the man. 

Steven pointed to the vehicle the tech was working on and answered, "you're working on it. I'm just waiting for it."

"Ah." The tech nodded. "Yea, the shop's open, just barely. There should be some coffee." He waved Steven to follow him as he opened the door and stepped aside for Steven to step in first. Letting the door close behind him, he peered around the desk, into the side office, to the left of the door they had just entered from, and caught the burly man with a long but neatly kept black beard, sitting behind the desk in the craped room. "Hey, Dave, any coffee? This guy's waiting for the Excursion."

Dave stood, a short man with a rounded belly, and walked out of the room and over to the coffee urn, next to the television. "Hey, sir! I can have some coffee for you, in a few minutes. Is that okay?" Grabbing the urn by the handle and removing the filterbasket from the maker, Dave didn't wait for Steven's acknowledgement before turning to empty and rinse the urn and dump the old filter before making a fresh pot. 

Steven sat down in the same chair he had chosen the day before and watched the assistant manager set about his task. "That's fine. Thanks." When the man came back and prepared the makings for coffee, Steven looked up from setting up his laptop, that he had brought with him, and asked the man's name.

"I'm Dave, the assistant manager." Dave pressed START on the coffee maker and shifted to reach out a hand as he introduced himself. 

Accepting the hand and shaking it as Steven introduced himself to the man, he sought clarification on the information he heard, the day before. "I thought the tech working on my car was 'Dave'." He looked over towards the door for the young tech but found the young man had gone back out to finish his work on the vehicle. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch his name."

Turning to see where Steven was looking, Dave turned back and answered, "his name's Lee. He's got the magic touch for your car. You're in good hands." With a smile of sincerity, Dave glanced back at the coffeemaker before asking if he could offer anything more before turning back to return to his office.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Steven smiled at the man before he went back to his office, and returned to his laptop to email a few things and calling his morning clients, asking for a reschedule due to his car being in the shop. After typing two emails and checking the weather in Chicago, he surfed the web and made arrangements to look at some apartments, in town. 

Five minutes later, Dave reemerged from his office and set up the top to the urn for customers to use, turned on the television to the news channel and asked if Steven was still doing alright, or needed anything. He turned when he heard the door open and a woman entered with her seven-year-old son. "Good morning, ma'am. What can I do for you?" He made his way back to the desk and listened to the woman's plight of her late model sedan and framed a time limit for her of how long it would take to get the car into the shop. "Are you staying with us or can we contact you when it's ready?"

"My husband's outside. Call me when it's ready, please." The mid-thirties woman glanced around the waiting room, noting only one person sitting there, then waved to Lee through the window of the shop before turning and guiding her son back out to the parking lot, where her husband's Mustang idled.

A few minutes later, Lee opened the shop door and stepped in and over to the water cooler, taking a styrofoam cup from the stack of six, next to the coffee urn. He glanced over at Steven and discreetly looked at the man's hands as Steven typed, noting the wedding ring on his finger. He inhaled before taking a drink of water, smelling Steven's light cologne. Finishing his cup of water, he tossed the cup into the small gray waste basket and turned to walking back to the shop to finish his work. He was stopped by Dave coming out of his office to talk to him. 

Dave glanced out the window to the shop and then turned back to Lee. "Aaron's coming in, in an hour, to start on the repairs to the truck. Dusty called out so, I need two people on the truck. Think you can jump in and help Aaron, once you finish this?"

Thinking for a moment, calculating the time limit in his head, Lee stared at the Excursion and then looked back at his boss. "I'm just waiting on the part but, yea."

"Good." Dave turned back to his office as Lee stepped back out, into the shop. 

Three hours later, Steven's SUV backed out of the garage and pulled around front as Lee had replaced the parts, test drove it and brought it back, after having one last issue with it. Stepping back inside the recption area, he went over to the small sliding window, opened it and grabbed his paperwork before dropping the paper and the keys into the clear plastic folder and letting Dave know the vehicle was complete. With another glance over to Steven, he made his way back out to the shop to help Aaron on an engine rebuild.

As Steven sat down in the driver's seat, he looked over to find Lee signing for parts and chatting and smiling at the handsome male driver, who smiled and laughed back. Tucson was by no means small in population but, he had a growing feeling that wouldn't be the last he saw of the young mechanic he had noticed glancing at him.

 

One

Tucson International Airport, One year later

Steven checked his watch and then stared up at the sign indicating the arrivals and times they arrived at the gates. Finally, the arrival time of the plane from O'Hare Airport changed to the gate number and he waited anxiously at the bottom of the ramp, for his two teenaged children to walk down. Spotting them, he waved for them to notice him and opened his arms for a hug from his daughter. "You made it! Was the trip okay?" Wrapping his arms around their shoulders, he guided them back out to the parking lot, where his SUV was parked. 

"Yea, it was okay. Long. Boring." Barely fifteen and almost as tall as his dad, Brian "Doc" Dawson shrugged and stared at the floor in front of him as they walked, carry-ons in hand. His dad had nicknamed him "Doc" after an announced career choice Brian had wanted at the age of five. He had stuffed a week's worth of clothing into his large carry on bag, as well as his Nintendo DS he had played during the trip and then shoved into his bag before exiting the plane. He was neither excited or alright with coming across country to see his recently divorced father but his mother had given him an ultimatum; either Arizona with dad or volunteering at YMCA Youth to a bunch of ten year olds. Naturally, he scoffed and chose Arizona heat.

The airport was normally crowded, at any given time of the day but today it was scarce of people. Steven had wanted Lee to be there with him to ease the tension but Lee had seen the possibility of adding even more tension to the reunion than needed. Steven was on his own and was not feeling as strong as he had told himself he was, all day, in preparation of their arrival. He was even unsuccessful in having Lee wait at the car. Though the meeting went off without a hitch, Steven still felt uncomfortable with having his children learn the newest part of his life. He knew this wouldn't be easy and used the silence between walking from the bottom of the ramp to the garage as a minute to think about what to say and how to phrase it.

Stepping outside to the parking garage and making their way over to Steven's SUV, Steven slipped a hand into his pocket and fished for his keys. Clicking the UNLOCK button on the fob, he paused to open the trunk lid for them to put their bags in before he closed it again. "Are you two hungry?" Looking back to his son and daughter as they climbed into the backseat and reached for their seatbelts. "Jessie? Doc?" He watched them through the rearview mirror and could tell they were exhausted from the flight but hadn't known if they had a meal before the flight. Hearing mixed reviews from the backseat, Steven sighed and announced that he was hungry and chose for them. "Village Inn, it is. I want to talk to you about something, too." Turning the key and starting the engine, he shifted into reverse and backed out of the space, turning towards the hanging Exit sign, from the floor above. 

He drove out of the garage and into the early evening. The sun was still well above the heat-drenched city and had no intention of setting anytime soon. For 5:50 in the evening and on a Tuesday, the city was abuzz with all of it's happenings for the summer crowd. Steven drove to the Village Inn location on Speedway Boulevard and pulled into the parking lot, shutting off the engine once choosing a spot close to the door. He released his seatbelt and opened his door as his two passengars did the same. 

\---

They sat down in a corner booth. Several couples and families were scattered throughout the dining area but luckily, not near them. Steven sat across from his kids and cleared his throat, waiting for their drinks to come before telling them his news. "I wanted to talk to you two about this summer." He watched them as they perused the menus before closing them and turning back to their mobile phones. Raking his teeth over his bottom lip and leaning forward on the table, he cleared his throat again. "This past year has been a little hectic for all of us and I want you two to know, I will always be here for you. We've all undergone some changes and hopefully, it's for the better." He paused and glanced out the window. When he turned back, he saw that his daughter was watching him, waiting for him to finish his statement. "A lot has changed from the time I moved from home. But, I'd like to think there are some positives in this new situation."

"Like what?" Jessica stared at her father, wide-eyed with childish innocence. Her white mobile phone poised in her hands at the edge of the table and buzzing away with teen chatter from her friends. Long, auburn hair hung limb down her back with only a light blue scrunchi to gather it part way down. Brown eyes stared at her father with sad remnants of the past year and she hoped this was not going to add fuel to the fire and egg her mother on with dehumanising their father in front of them.

Steven exhaled and looked to Doc before he continued. "I have a roommate. He's a mechanic. His name's Lee. There's a pool and nice big yard and no snow in the winter so, you two can run and play to your hearts' content." He paused as the waitress came over to take their order and then disappeared into the back, he read the mixed expressions on their faces. "Look, I need you both on your best behaviour, this summer. But, we're also here to have fun and see the sights."

Doc looked up from his game and raised an eyebrow at the window. "What's there to see, in this dorky-lookin' town?"

"How about we live just ten minutes away from Old Tucson? There's a zoo, down the street, and plenty of other sights around. There's the Grand Canyon." Steven bit his lip. "We could take a weekend, go up north, or south and see Tombstone. Bisbee has mines. How about that, huh?" He could tell by the bored expressions on their faces that they were less than enthused about being there, let alone being there without their mother to complete the family. "Just, give this a chance. Please?" A few silent and uncomfortable minutes later, their food arrived and Steven was able to get them to laugh and joke as if nothing were wrong or different but the underlying terms were there.

Chewing the bite of food in his mouth, Doc looked up from staring at his plate of pancakes and swallowed. "Does he have any kids?"

Steven wiped his mouth with the napkin that he draped over his left thigh and replaced it, chewing the bite of food he had in his mouth before answering. He swallowed and stabbed a forkful of roast beef. "Lee? No. No kids but he does have a pet iguana named Ziggy." Chewing the bite from his fork, a small feeling of calm came over him as he hoped this was a start to a good rapport and not a disaster as some of the stories he had heard about, from his friends. "The neighbours have a few kids and there's a park with a fishing pond, just up the road a ways. I'm sure you'll like him once you get to know him." He had hoped it was true but still debated on telling them the full story, until after they met him and had a chance to unwind from their long trip.

He knew Lee had nothing to hide, nor did he care what people thought of his lifestyle, as it was his own and not theirs. But Steven wore his heart on his sleeve some days and kept his personal feelings to himself, only letting them slip around very good friends, and at home with Lee, of course. He was by no means a "closet gay." Yet, his advertising business was new and filling with people he wasn't sure about. Granted, the laws had changed but people's thinking and acceptance had not.

\---

Opening the front door and stepping in to cross the room and poke his head around the corner of the kitchen, to the left, Steven found Lee sitting on the long gray sofa, watching a nature documentary and petting the head of the bright green iguana, perched on his left shoulder. "Hey, they made it!" The open floor plan centred with the kitchen and dining room, where they had walked in, in the middle of the triple wide modular home, with four large bedrooms, two on each end of the home and two bathrooms.

Lee looked over, his attention taken from the television and stood up carefully, trying not to startle Ziggy. "Great. Thought you decided to skip town and go to the beach." He had showered and changed out of his coveralls from work and now relaxed in tan khaki shorts and a white T-shirt with a parody of a movie logo on it. He had only been home for forty-five minutes but had kept busy, in anticpation of their arrival, by dressing the beds in two of the guest rooms and washing the dishes in the sink from the morning breakfast. He smiled at the two teens and held out his hand to introduce himself to them. "Hi, I'm Lee. Nice to meet you." His hair was still damp but quickly drying from the warmth of the house, even though the air conditioning was on. He was taller that Steven by an inch or so and thinner as he opted to ride his bicycle more than drive his old Ford truck.

Holding out her hand to shake his, Jessica smiled back and introduced herself. "Jessie. Is it friendly?" Jessica motioned to the iguana that had draped itself over Lee's shoulder and moved ever so slowly. "Can I pet him?" She was unsure of touching the animal but thought it was a good way to break the tension in the air.

"Hm? Yea. He's friendly." Lee reached up and carefully lifted the iguana from his shoulder, being careful not to let its nails snag his shirt. Resting its body on his flattened palm, he held it out for her to pet. 

Doc looked up from his game long enough to see his sister getting ready to hold Ziggy. Shrugging he went back to his game until Steven came around to stand beside him and place a hand on his shoulder and introduce the quiet teen. "Hey." he shrugged.

Tossing a smile over at the unenthused teen, Lee held out his hand to greet him, which was limply grasped and shaken. After a quick glance up at Steven, he ushed them into the rest of the house, giving them a quick tour of the floorplan before showing them to their rooms. He had thought that they would want their privacy and ability to have their musics and not disturb Lee or Steven, after hours. So, Lee chose to give them the two rooms at the other end of the house was sufficient. "The linens are clean. Just washed them and put them on, for you. Feel free to use the dressers, Jack and Jill bathroom, fridge is always open for whatever you're hungry for. Or, there's a dollar mart about 10 minutes from here." He stood in the doorway of Doc's room as both teen explored their new bedrooms and the his and hers bathroom that was a little bigger than a walk-in closet.

Doc dropped his bag at the foot of the bed and stretched out on the maroon quilt, propping the pillow up against the wall, for his head. "Cool." 

"Is there a pool?" Jessie asked, coming back into Doc's room from the adjoining bathroom. Her room was satifactory for being her home away from home. Neither room was frilly or too manly but nice and pleasant and reminded her of her grandma's house in Upper Michigan.

"Sadly, no. The water tanks for the community aren't big enough. But, we have hiking, fishing on the reservation, or there's a community pool, in Tucson. Libraries, Mount Lemmon, Sedona, to name a few. Or, the Salt River rafting or Wildlife Museum." Lee glanced over at Steven, who stood next to him. He glanced back over at Ziggy and noticed him starting to get irritated with being held so, he carefully traded with Jessie, telling her it was time for Ziggy's feeding and nap and left to replace him in his tank, in their bedroom.

Steven cleared his throat and stared at Doc's lack of interest in anything else but the DS and patted the door frame. "Well, why don't you two relax, unwind, take a cool shower. There should be some towels in the linen closet or on the hooks in the bathroom. Okay?" He turned to leave and stopped, turning back. "If you need anything, just ask."

 

Continued


	2. Chapter 2

As a result of both children going to bed early in the evening, they were up before dawn but hadn't come out of their rooms until they heard the coffee maker beep its completion, in the kitchen. The first one out of their rooms was Doc, still wearing his clothes, minus his shoes, from the night before. He found Steven dressed for work and standing at the coffee pot, pouring coffee into an insulated mug. He stood there a moment, waiting for Steven to turn around. Light seeped through the vertical blinds and bathed the south-facing side of the house in strips of cool blue tones with hints of orange as the sun had started to peak over the horizon. 

"Mornin', Champ. How was the night? Sleep okay?" Steven turned around after hearing a shuffling sound behind him. He screwed the lid onto his titanium mug and set it down on the small, round dining table, in front of the sliding back door.

Doc only nodded and sat down in a chair at the table. He had only been awake for little over an hour and a half but stayed in bed, relaxing and reveling in the fact there was no school.

Steven looked at his groggy son for a minute before the bedroom door opened from the shared room he and Lee had, and Lee stepped out, dressed for work. They smiled at each other but didn't speak as Steven followed him to the side door, next to the car port. They paused a moment as Lee opened the door and turned to give Steven a goodbye kiss before leaving for work. He closed the door as Lee started his old, beat up truck and backed out of the driveway and absently licked his lips as he turned to walk back to where Doc still sat. "Are you hungry? Want some juice?"

Doc shook his head and stared at the table. He knew what had transpired behind his back, at the door, but didn't say anything.

Raking his bottom teeth over his upper lip, Steven made his way over to where he had set his mug down and picked it up to take a sip of the hot liquid. "I'll be home about five. Lee will probably be back around two or three. How about we all go out for dinner, tonight? Pizza?"

Doc shrugged and finally spoke, letting his groggy voice rumble out like gravel. "Sure."

As Steven started to speak, Jessie's door opened and she stepped out, holding the same book in her hand that she had been reading on the plane. "Mornin', baby. Sleep okay?" When she nodded and smiled, he smiled back and checked his watch on his left wrist. "I've got to get to work. You two hang out, watch some TV or whatever and I'll see you tonight. Okay? My cell number is on the fridge, if you need me. Or, in case of emergency, Lee's number is there too. Have a good day, you two and don't burn the house down." He leant over and kissed the side of her head, giving her a quick hug and whispering that he missed them both before releasing her and patting Doc's right shoulder as he hurried out to his car and left for work.

Pulling the chair out and sitting down, next to her brother, Jessie dropped her elbow on the table and placed her chin on her hand. "What do you wanna do?"

Doc sighed and slowly turned to stare at her. "I think dad's gay."

"Well, he was kinda chipper." Jessie shrugged off the statement. "I meant for breakfast."

Doc stared at his sister, expressionless. "I'm goin' back to bed." Excusing himself from the table, he shuffled back into his room and shut the door before flopping down on the bed and closing his eyes.

~~~~~~~~

Lee opened the side door to the house and stepped in, removing his shoes before leaving the entryway and stepping into the living room. He paused a moment and listened for the two teens. When he didn't hear anything, he figured they were sleeping or busying themselves in their rooms. His mobile rang and he dug through his pants pocket to fish it out. "Hey. No, all's quiet on the homefront. They're here somewhere." Lee stood in the living room as he answered his mobile but continued on to the bedroom as he started to talk to Steven. "Oh, I had an overhaul go south and then a couple of hoses wanted to break on another car. It was just stupid, today." He paused as he reached their closed bedroom door and glanced back to the living room as the corner of his eye caught some movement. He watched as Doc came out of his room and walked over to sit on the sofa before continuing to open the bedroom door and walk in. "One's up. Hm? Um, Doc. I'm gonna jump in the shower and finish painting the workroom. See you when you get home." Lee walked over to the bed and ended the call, tossing the mobile onto the already made bed.

When he turned back to the door, he found Doc standing in the doorway. "Hey, how's it goin'?"

Doc nodded in acknowledgment. "Is this my dad's room?"

"Uh, yes." Lee froze, unsure of how the teen would react to the knowledge of a shared room.

Noting the two dressers, Doc leant against the frame. "You sleep with my dad?"

Lee swallowed out of nervousness and glanced at the bed before looking back to answer the question. "We share it, yes. I think your dad might be the one to ask about this." He watched the teen carefully as Doc only scoffed and shook his head before shoving off of the door frame and walking back to the living room. Sighing in relief that it hadn't turned into something bigger, Lee walked over to the door and closed it. He could hear Doc's muffled and angry voice coming from the living room as the door latched closed. 

After his shower and changing into long, khaki shorts and an old T-shirt, Lee slipped on his flip flops and made his way out to the work room and turned on his boombox for some retro rock to listen to as he painted the cabinetry. He had forgotten all about his and Doc's encountre and delved into his work until he heard Steven's car pull up and the engine shut off. Glancing out the side window and waving to the man that caught his eye, he waited for Steven to round the corner and step inside the small room. "Hey," he kissed Steven as the older man stepped through the door, "you might want to approach with caution, when you go inside. I think you'll get an earful."

"Oh?" Steven sighed. "I'll talk to them. You wanna finish up and join us for dinner?"

Against Lee's better judgement, he nodded and turned back to finishing his small corner he had been working on for an hour. "I'll be in, in a minute."

Steven watched him for a second. "Okay. Pizza, okay? I thought we'd take a drive around town, show them the sights, a little."

Lee didn't look up from painting. "Sure." He heard Steven's footsteps retreating to the house and the side door opening and closing behind him. Finishing and cleaning his brushes before shutting off the radio and light and closing the door, leaving the windows open to air out the room, he waited a good two minutes before opening the door and following Steven inside, readying for a screaming match that didn't seem to come.

As the evening wore on, Lee hadn't breathed easy until they arrived back home and the two teens slipped into their rooms in silence. It hadn't gone exactly according to plan, which made him even more uneasy and silently rethinking the summer plans. He had hoped the teens would be alright with the news and happy for their father to find someone he loved but, instead, it was a tense few nights. He hated walking on eggshells in his own home, despite the reassurances Steven gave him.

~~~~~~~~

Steven shut off the television in the living room and then knocked on Jessie's open door before saying anything. He hadn't wanted to startle her while she was reading her teen-level book and stretched out on her bed. "If you need anything, feel free. We're going to bed. I have to go in to work, tomorrow, but Lee should be home." He paused a moment and looked over her room. "Everything okay?" He looked back to Jessie as she looked up from her book.

"I'm fine. Night, dad." Jessie smiled. She was still in her clothes, minus her shoes and socks. She went back to reading her book and turned the page before Steven moved to Doc's room, closing the door to Jessie's room behind him. At nine-thirty at night, she knew she was up past her bedtime but she had wanted to finish the chapter she was on before calling it a night. She yawned mostly and struggled to stay awake to read the last page and a half she had. After another yawn, she placed the bookmark in her spot and changed into her summer pajamas before slipping between the sheets and clicking off the light. Her eyes closed before her head hit the pillow and she was asleep before she felt the softness of the pillowcase on her cheek.

Knocking on Doc's door and opening it, he found the teen sound asleep, already, his DS in his hand, closed and off. Steven stepped in and carefully slipped the DS out of Doc's hand and placed it on the bedside table, slipping off the teen's shoes, for him, and placing them on the floor. Doc was also in his clothes and lie above his bedding but Steven knew if Doc got cold, he would wake up on his own and remedy his own situation. He watched his son sleep for a moment before walking back over to the door and turning off the light and closing the door quietly.

Steven turned off the living room light from the switch on the wall, next to the kitchen and made his way to his and Lee's shared bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he found Lee drying himself after stepping out of the shower. The bathroom door was open, letting the steamy air spill out into the bedroom. Steven leant against the frame and folded his arms in front of him. He admired the view of watching Lee dry himself, one long limb at a time. "Kids are tucked into their rooms. Doc's down for the count and Jessie is getting there." He watched Lee's movements as if staring at a living piece of art.

Nodding and hanging up his damp purple towel on the shower rod, Lee walked over to the sink to comb his towel-dried hair. Picking up his black comb from the far left drawer that also housed the toothpaste, dental floss, eye drops and contact lens case. "They don't seem to enjoy coming here." He stood there nude while taking his time combing his hair. His legs were parted, allowing the coolness of the air to dry his manhood. Finishing combing his hair and wiping the wetness off of the comb before slipping it back into the drawer. He turned around and leant against the countre, bracing his hands to either side. The countre top was a dual sink, white marble top with glass bowl basins and tall, swan-neck faucets. "I'm not so sure they're really impressed with me, either." He reclined there, giving Steven an inviting look. 

Raking his teeth over his bottom lip, Steven stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Lee's naked waist. "They're just.... tired.... from all of the travelling and getting used to new surroundings and wrapping their heads around the divorce. Give 'em a few days."

Lee nodded again and repeated, "tired." Sighing, he tiredly shoved Steven away and walked past him. "You didn't tell them about us." A large bedroom with creme-coloured carpet and a dark oak bedroom set neatly placed in the room. The queen-sized bed was placed squarely to the right of one window while Steven's dresser was placed to the left of the other window, catty-corner to the wall the bed was on. Lee's dresser was against the wall, on the other side of the bathroom. Walking over to open one of the side by side's drawers and pull out a pair of light blue boxers and a large light gray T-shirt with dark gray writing that said University of Nevada across the front, Lee closed the drawer with a huff and turned and tossed his clothes onto the bed before picking the garments up one by one and slipping them on. 

"I didn't think it was time yet. They've just had their world come crashing down on them." Steven had turned to watch Lee as he moved across the room and dressed himself. "I wanted to wait. Let them get to know you and relax a little." Stepping forward and wrapping an arm around the tall, thick post of the four-poster at the foot of the bed, on Steven's side, he watched as Lee got dressed and proceeded to peel back the covers on his side of the bed.

Straightening from his bent over position of turning down the covers, Lee sighed and sat on the edge of bed. "Steve, you can't force them to love or hate this relationship. If they love it or hate it, that's for them to decide and think about moving on. All you can do it to tell them about us." Lee shook his head. "I won't be anyone's dirty secret, again."

Steven nodded. "I know." Making his way around the side of the bed to where Lee sat, he leant over and kissed the younger man on the lips, gingerly. "I'm not asking you to. Just, give it time. Okay?"

Lee shrugged but nodded. Catching Steven's shirt by the front, he held him close. "I'm not going to live a lie in my own home, Steven. Not again."

"I know." Reaching a hand up to gently release Lee's hand from his shirt so he could stand up, Steven absently smoothed his shirt from the wrinkles and cleared his throat. "I'm not asking you to. I just thought they deserved a break from reality, right now. Tomorrow, we'll sit down and talk, after I get home from work. Okay?" Catching a small nod from Lee, leant over again and kissed him, cupping the back of his head and nudging him to lie back, on the bed. Moving to tap tiny kisses along Lee's jawline and down to the tender and soft neck of his lover, Steven heard a low moan and felt his shirt being lifted up, exposing his toned chest. Since moving in with Lee, Steven had been bike riding, hiking, running and swimming with his lover, on the mornings he did not have to go in so early and Lee had the mornings off. He had trimmed off several pounds in a few short months and felt healthier after doing so. 

Lee giggled as Steven's kisses on his neck tickled. "I just got out of the shower."

"So, we'll take another one." Steven tugged lightly at Lee's boxers, sliding them off of Lee's hips. A hand moved up to Lee's golden hair and feathered his fingers through it. He stopped to stand up and pull his shirt off and looked down to see Lee unfastening his pants and underwear for him, letting them fall to the floor. 

Sitting up and reaching into the drawer on his side of the bed's nightstand, Lee removed a blue condom wrapper and a bottle of KY. His mouth was captured again as Steven hastilly removed the items from Lee's hand and quickly tore into the wrapper and placed it on his now exposed and erect manhood. He moved to turn himself onto the bed fully and wait for his lover to join him. As Steven joined him, Lee felt playful enough to wrestle for dominance but ultimately gave in with a laugh and reached over to turn out the light, on Steven's side of the bed.

 

Continued


	3. Chapter 3

Lee rolled over and scoot next to Steven's side of the bed only to find him not there. Raising his head up and opening his eyes, he found the spot void of Steven and the covers. Morning had already brightened the room enough to show him Steven had already left for work. A low groan and a sigh as he lie back down and cuddled Steven's pillow. Stretching himself flat against the cool linen and staring up at the ceiling, he turned his head to look at the clock, beside Steven's side of the bed. Eight thirty-three. After a moment of relaxing, he got up, showered and dressed, brushed his hair and teeth before slipping on his shoes and opening the bedroom door to check for signs of life from the two teens. Not hearing anything, Lee walked through the house, stopping at the refrigerator to grab a can of guava juice and then made his way out of the house and into the shop to finish work on his car.

Turning on the radio and then opening the can of juice, Lee turned and paused as Doc stood in the doorway to the shop. "Morning. Your dad left for work, already. Is there something I can help you with?" He smiled nervously but let it fade as the boy shrugged, looked around the room and then went back to his gameboy as he walked away. Lee blinked and shook his head, turning back to his tools. "You certainly have weird kids, Steve." he muttered to himself. He hadn't realised that the teen had followed him outside and was watching him as he fiddled around in the shed.

It was noon before Lee slid open the sliding glass door to the kitchen and stepped into the house. The living room shades were still pulled but the TV was on and Doc was flipping through channels, searching for something to watch. "The sports channels are in the nine hundreds, if you're looking?" When he received no response, he sighed and continued over to the refrigerator and opened the door to remove the package of sliced ham, on the bottom shelf, and the bag of deli-cut swiss, from the crisper and the bottle of mustard from the door. Shutting the door, he turned back to see Doc sitting up on the middle cushion, watching him. "Wanna sandwich?"

"Nah." Doc went back to flipping through the channels but stopped on a show from the 70s about a romantic cruise liner.

Lee turned and placed the items on the countre before making his way over to the wooden breadbox, next to the coffee maker and opening the lid to take out a loaf of bread Steven had made, two days before. Turning back to the small island countre where he placed the items from the refrigerator, he noticed that Doc was still watching the same show. "Like the Love Boat, huh?" 

Doc shrugged but didn't look away from the screen.

A moment later Jessie's door opened and Jessie stepped out. She was clean and dressed and braiding her damp hair, as she had just gotten out of the shower, minutes before. Tieing the band around the end of the braid, she met eyes with Lee and then tossed a glance over her shoulder to her brother.

"Afternoon. Are you hungry?" Lee smiled at the girl and asked as she stepped forward and watched him make his sandwich.

Jessie wrinkled her nose. "Got any cereal?" She eyed his sandwich and wondered how anyone could eat ham and cheese without mayo. As he put the second piece of bread on top of the sandwich, Lee made his way around the island and opened the cabinet door, next to the refrigerator, for her.

Lee turned and walked over to the cabinet, above the dishwasher, under the coffee maker, and showed her where the bowls were, in case she wanted more later. "Take your pick. We even have cream of wheat or oatmeal with or without candy dinosaurs. We also have a wide assortment of dry cereal, too. The milk is in the fridge. Skim milk. I hope that's okay." Reaching a bowl down for her and then retrieving a spoon from the drawer, on the other side of the sink, he turned and placed them on the island top.

"Fine." Jessie grabbed the tall orange box of Cheerios and tuned to grab the milk from the top shelf of the refrigerator, she placed them on the countre across from him and poured her cereal into the bowl. Leaving the box and milk on the countre, she grabbed her spoon and bowl and carried it into the living room and placed it on the coffee table before sitting down on the floor, next to it.

After cleaning up after her and replacing the milk to the refrigerator, Lee grabbed his plate and sandwich and retreated to the dining room, sitting with his back to the front window. He had just sat down and taken his first bite when his mobile dinged from his pocket. Chewing and removing his mobile, he opened the text from Steven. He sighed as he read it.

*Hey, how's the day going?*

With a glance back to the kitchen entry, Lee looked back to the screen and tapped the comment box to reply. *Just awesome. Sitting here, having lunch and watching a little TV. How's work going?* Sent. He set his mobile beside him on the table and took another bite as he listened to the television, in the other room.

Another ding of his mobile interrupted his fourth bite and he picked it up to look at the reply. 

*Very full day. How's the kids?*

Lee swallowed and cleared his throat before tapping the comment box again. *Both watching TV. Jessie is having cereal, Doc just shrugs.* The next reply didn't come until his sandwich was gone and he was back outside, walking to the postbox.

*Have a meeting this afternoon. Will be home at 6. Love you.* 

Lee stopped as he reached the postbox and typed *okay. Love you too.* before sending the reply and opening the door. Sifting through the small stack of envelopes, he stopped on one that was hand-written and addressed to "Mr. Lee Marshall." Lee shuddered as he tore off the side of the envelope and removed the folded, three-paged letter from it. He stared at the handwriting and recognised it as his younger sister's. Taking a breath and opening the letter, he skimmed the first page, looking for anything to tell the mood of the letter before he read it. He took a few slow steps and stopped as he read. Sighing and reading the second page, Lee took a few more steps and stopped again. After the third page, he sighed again, folded and returned the letter to the envelope before making his way back inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~

For dessert, Steven treated them all to ice cream and as they sat at a small, four-seat table, outside, he enjoyed the moment of silence before making his announcement. Lee sat across from him and took small spoonfuls of his cup of vanilla ice cream and eyed Steven silently. Doc and Jessie sat across from each other and gave each other subtle looks of boredom and unease.

The sun had set thirty minutes prior and the sky was just now starting to darken. A breeze was light and rustled the pile of napkins from under Steven's mobile that he used as a weight to keep them from blowing away. A hot day only dipped in temps a few degrees but to the two teens, it was as hot as the sun even though, the start to June had been record low temps for southern Arizona. The misters were on, lining the outside patio. 

"How's the ice cream? Good?" Steven looked over at Doc, who sat quietly and took small spoonfuls of his banana split. When Doc only shrugged and continued eating, he looked over to Jessie and asked the same question. "Jess?" After getting a nod and a shrug, he sighed and glanced over at Lee before stating his original business. "How have you two been doing, being here? Any questions? Comments?" Looking to his right, and watching Doc's expression, he asked, "Doc?" Though, he waited patiently, he was concerned for what the teen thought of his and Lee's living situation.

Lee remained silent and stared at his ice cream, hoping they could keep the conversation calm and, if there were any discrepancies, they could iron them out. When he did look up, he caught Steven's eye only for a moment before looking down, at the black rubber-coated table clearing his throat to indicate that Steven should get on with important talk.

Steven sighed and shifted on the bench. "I know there are a few points I should have addressed when you two got here but I wasn't sure how to state them. You might have already guessed that Lee and I are a little more than just roommates; he and I share the same room, that sort of thing." He looked over at Lee and swallowed. "I wanted you guys to meet him, first; get a feel for how it is, here, as opposed to how it was with your mother and I. Nothing's changed on how I feel about you two." He was interrupted as Doc stabbed his ice cream with his spoon and shoved it away. 

"What d'ya mean, 'nothin's changed'?" Doc's voice raised angrilly but he kept it low enough as not to attract unwanted attention. "Everything's changed. You and mom would fight like cats and dogs, then you get a divorce and move across the country, without warning, and now, you're screwing another guy! Not to mention, he's like half your age!"

Catching Lee's uncomfortable reaction to Doc's hurtful words, Steven did his best to quell his son's anger. "He is not. Stop it. Look, my job sent me here. Lee and I..." he finally caught eyes again with Lee, who waited for his explanation, also. "Lee was kind enough to offer me a place to stay as well as work through some of the things the divorce stirred up. He helped me through things and I helped him, as much as I can, with his."

Doc sat back and folded his arms about his chest, shaking his head in disbelief. "You expect us to believe that?! What a bunch of shit!"

Jessie, who had remained silent and continued eating her oreo blizzard, looked up at her brother. "Knock it off, Brian!"

"Shut up, Jessica!" Doc yelled from across the table. "Man, I'm done. I wanna go back to Chicago." Before Steven could protest, Doc stood, tossed his half-finished ice cream into the rubbish bin and stormed over to stand behind Steven's SUV. With his arms folded and still pouting, he sat on the bumper and stared out at the street, watching as cars drove by.

Steven stared at Doc's retreating form a moment and then turned to look at his daughter, who now also stared at her brother's back, mouth open in shock. "Is that how you feel, Jess? Do you want to go home, too?"

Jessie shifted and set down her ice cream. "It's a little unfair, dad. It's like you didn't even tell us goodbye or anything; you just left. When you finally remember us, it's a year later and we're just supposed to be okay with you and him just living like nothing's wrong? We used to tell each other everything, dad. We were a family, and now, we're not. How are we supposed to feel? You said it yourself when you and mom started fighting, 'not everything is going to be all yippee skippee.' Well, it's not. It's a big slap in the face to us. And you want us to just smile and jump for joy about it? Not gonna happen just yet."

"So, you want to go back, too? Is that what you're saying?" Steven hoped for the best but understood not to push his children into something they weren't ready for.

Downcasting her eyes and shrugging a bit, she nodded. "Maybe next summer?" It wasn't that Jessie was completely against being there, it was the fact that it was too much to handle in such a small time that she needed a break.

Steven sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll make the arrangements in the morning. I'm sorry we couldn't work through this."

Lee looked up and watched Steven's expression change from uneasy to sad to lost and he knew there was nothing he could do to make it right. The thought of finishing his ice cream now was making him ill. "Why don't we call it a night, hm?" Noting the time on his watch, on his right wrist, he could tell Steven was ready to go, also. "I have to go in early, tomorrow, anyway." He threw a casual smile over to his lover, in hopes of cheering him up and stood up as Steven nodded and stood at the admission.

~~~~~~~~~

The ride home was a long and quiet one. Doc and Jessie sat in the backseat and stared at their phones, texting their friends who stayed up late and wanted to know all the sordid details of life in Arizona, with their father while Lee sat in the front passenger seat and stared out the window at the darkness as they made their way home. He couldn't help but think this was all his fault, somehow. Yet, he knew it wasn't. As Steven pulled up to the carport, he waited for the teens to exit the vehicle and close the doors before he caught Steven by the wrist and whispered an apology of how the night had gone. "Let them sleep on it." Reaching for the doorhandle, he glanced back to find the two teens standing at the side door, waiting to go inside.

"I know. I guess I just expected something else from them. I'm sorry you're caught in the middle." Steven opened his door and stepped out, after unlatching his seatbelt. Their doors closed almost simultaneously in soft thuds. He followed Lee over to the door and let him unlock it as Lee stood aside and let them enter first. 

A solitary light in the living room, beside the sofa, was left on as they knew they wouldn't be home before dark and, it was now pushing nine o'clock and with now streetlights on the corners or close neighbours, the outside was almost pitch black. Lee kicked his shoes off as he stopped, to the left of the door, and left them next to the dryer before making his way into the living room. Steven followed a few steps behind him and placed his shoes beside Lee's.

Doc stormed into his room and slammed the door, flicking the light on, moving the chair that sat between the door and the dresser under the knob, letting Steven know that he didn't want to be disturbed. He also shut and attempted to block the bathroom door but hadn't realised that the door to the shared bathroom opened in to the bathroom. He flopped himself down onto the bed and fumed as he stared at the ceiling.

Unlike her brother, Jessie stood just inside her room and flicked on the light, sighing before she turned around to solemnly look at her father before she shut the door. Like her brother, however, she was numb and upset and felt trapped. Trapped in the instance of knowing there was no way to relax or gain a stable ground, after her parents divorced and her father chose another man, instead of his children. She didn't care what his reasoning was, she just wanted her family's tattered ends to come together, again. Turning on her television, that sat on the dressertop, and not caring what the programme was, she turned off the light and got ready for bed. Dropping her clothes into a small pile at the foot of her bed, she crawled onto the bed and then up to the pillow, falling face first into it and letting her tears dampen the pillow. Facing away from the screen, she sniffled and cried softly, hoping to fall asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steven sat on his side of the bed and stared at the floor. "And, here I thought telling them their mother and I were getting a divorce was hell."

Lee shut off the bathroom light and stepped back into their bedroom from brushing his teeth and walked over to stand in front of Steven. Gently reaching up to start unbuttoning Steven's white dress shirt, he gave a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. "It could've been worse. He could've dumped his ice cream on you." Unbuttoning down to Steven's waist, he reached for the man's hands to pull him to his feet to continue to undress his lover. "C'mon, time for bed."

Shaking his head and letting Lee help him to stand up, Steven sighed and continued to stare at the floor, next to the younger man. "No, no, this is much worse." Letting Lee peel away the bits of clothing and toss them onto a chair, next to the bathroom door, he sat back down on the bed, wearing only his briefs. "Would it have been easier if they were older, or younger to tell them this?" Breaking his gaze on the floor, he turned his attention to watch Lee undress, changing into boxers and T-shirt and place his own clothing on the pile of Steven's clothes before he gathered them up and placed them in the hamper, in the bathroom.

"I don't think this situation is okay to tell a child of any age." Covering a yawn and then walking back over to where Steven sat, Lee kissed the man and helped him into bed before walking around and slipping under the covers on his side. He felt bad for Steven, and for the teens but had forgotten all about being insulted, himself. He sighed and yawned again before snuggling his lover and whispering a goodnight as Steven reached up and turned off the bedside lamp. 

As Steven lie on his back and absently traced tiny circles on Lee's right forearm with the fingertips of his right hand, he began to think of how he could have stated it better. "I should have said it better." His voice was just above a whisper and he hadn't realised he said it out loud until Lee stirred from dozing and answered him.

"No. There was no other way to say it." Shifting again, as he lie on his left side, Lee sighed and sat up to look down at the shadowed man. "Steve, they just need time to wrap their heads around one thing at a time. Their parents call it quits, then their dad moves away and out of viewing range so that they can't get a foothold on things. Then, they find out that he's sleeping with another man. They need stability, not constant chaos."

Steven was silent for a long while, thinking about what the younger man had said. Another moment passed before he nodded and lifted himself up to kiss his lover. They lay back down, Lee's head on Steven's right shoulder, snuggling him. 

~~~~~~~~~~

It was still dark when he opened his eyes and slipped out of bed, grabbing his mobile from his bedside table and pressing the POWER button to illuminate the screen. Turning it to face the floor, he held his free hand over the side to cover the reflection of light, keeping the brightness to a minimum as not to wake up Steven. Making his way over to the door and slipping on his white sneakers that waited beside it, he was careful not to disturb anything around him that made noise. Opening the door slowly and quietly, Lee stepped out and turned his mobile over to check the time on the screen, closing the door, behind him. Three forty-five AM. He made his way through the kitchen, stopping to retrieve his pack of cigarettes and Zippo from the back of the junk drawer, and over to the sliding glass door, unlocking it and easing it open to step outside and sit down at the wrought iron patio set. 

Clearing his throat and removing a cigarette from the pack, Lee placed the filter end between his lips and lit the tobacco end, taking a long, nerve-settling drag before picking up his mobile and dialing the number. He listened to it ring several times before a woman answered. 

"Hello?" 

Exhaling again and watching the smoke drift upward before dissappearing into the darkness, Lee spoke softly. "Hey, it's me. I know it's early but I wanted to talk to you."

The woman sighed and a muffled grunt indicated that she had shifted and was now walking to another room, to speak privately. She sounded older and had a slight New Jersey accent that had faded over the twenty years of living in the Nevada desert. "This isn't a good time. I gave you this number to use in case of emergencies." She sat down on a leather sofa, her back to the penthouse window that overlooked Central Park. Satin pajamas with matching magenta robe felt cool against her tanned skin. She had been having breakfast and tea when her prepaid mobile rang. 

"I know. I just wanted to call and talk for a bit. How's Sherry doing?" The chair he sat in was next to the door, his back to the wall. Turning to see who was sliding the door open, Lee took another drag of his cigarette. He exhaled again as Jessie slid the door closed behind her and came around to sit in the adjacent chair and watch him.

The woman on the other end was silent a moment. "She's doing better. The doctor says she should recover in a few weeks. Did you get the letter?"

Lee switched ears as his right ear became sore from having the mobile against it for so long. "Yes, it came today. Thank you. I know it's early for Christmas but we have the break time. Can we stop by..." His sentence was cut short as his mother discouraged the idea of a holiday visit. "Well, can I come...? Oh. It's okay. Maybe next year?" He was silent again as she answered him with a "we'll see" and then hung up before he could ask anything else. He sighed and placed the mobile face down on the table and turned to look at the teen, who sat very calmly in her chair.

"Dad said you didn't smoke." She finally said, watching him as they sat in the darkness. The only light came from the brilliant glowing moon that seemed brighter and fuller, now that they were away from the city lights.

Lee took another drag and then tapped his ashes into a small empty coffee can that sat on the table. "Only during stressful calls." He swallowed and sat back. "Up late or did I wake you?"

Jessie shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. Who's Sherry?" She had slipped on her shorts and KEDS before opening her bedroom door to find out who had opened the sliding door. She caught a glimpse of Lee as he had pushed the door to and turned to sit down. Jessie wasn't sure why she had followed him out but she had been curious about why he would sneak out of the house to make a call, in the middle of the night.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Lee looked away from her and focused on a solitary sapling, in the backyard. "My sister. She lives in New York." 

"How come you don't have any pictures of them, around the house?" She watched him take another puff of his cigarette. The weather was still warm but had cooled a few degrees from five hours prior.

Exhaling his last puff of smoke and snuffing out the cigarette on the ground before placing it inside the coffee can, Lee took a breath. "It's uh... just not something I care to see on my walls."

"Why not? Are the wanted by the FBI?" Jessie chided. Raising a clever eyebrow, she sat back. "You're not in Witness Protection, are you?"

Lee perked up at the mention of the FBI and swallowed nervously. "What? No." Shifting positions, he changed the direction of the conversation before she could get too curious. "It's getting pretty late. You have a flight home, tomorrow. Or, have you changed your mind?" Silently hoping for less of the drama that often came with teenagers and new family settings, he was also hoping for a second chance with the living situation with Steven.

Jessie bit her lip in thought. "Trying to get rid of us? You two go to wild parties every night? Walk around the house in your boxers?" She smirked at his uncomfortable shifting.

Shaking his head, Lee bowed his head and stared at the ground. "No. This is it. We're pretty quiet. The only parties we go to are during the holidays and even that's a work party." He glanced up to see her unimpressed expression and a slouch for the upcoming boredom.

"Any kids around?"

Lee sighed. "There's a few around here. There's an arcade in dollar store and a shelter for pets, about 15 minute walk."

Jessie eyed him for a long, silent moment. "Do you guys do anything for fun?"

"A few things." Lee breathed. "Look, I'm sorry that your parents aren't together anymore but, this wasn't something we intended on. Steven really wanted you two to come down and spend some time with him. He really loves you kids. Whatever you two think of me is irrelevant. He would really appreciate another chance."

Shifting, Jessie inhaled and thought about what Lee had said. "You guys aren't going to do some kind of like weird roleplaying thing, are ya?"

Smiling and laughing quietly, Lee shook his head. "No, my name'll be just fine."

"I guess I can talk to Doc, in the morning. I really don't want to go back to Chicago just yet." Jessie stood up and paused as Lee also stood up and grabbed his mobile before ushering her inside and back to her room.

Lee waited for her to close her bedroom door, which she had left the light on before going outside, before closing and locking the patio door and making his way back to his and Steven's bedroom. He hoped he had talked some sense into her and hopefully changed her mind about leaving. He brushed his teeth and slipped out of his shoes, leaving just inside the bathroom door, before heading back to bed to lie down next to a still sleeping Steven and relaxed enough to fall asleep until his alarm woke him only a few hours later.

 

Continued.


	4. Chapter 4

Jessie lie in bed and stared at the ceiling. It was late and she was exhausted but every turn she made only caused her to twitch and wake up. Irritated, she sat up and threw her covers off before getting out of bed and stomping out of her room, through the Jack and Jill bathroom, and into her brother's room. She flipped on the switch for the bedside lamp and sat down on the edge of his bed, his back was to her. Doc was dozing on his left side and groaned as she shoved him to wake up. "Hey, wake up." When he only groaned and didn't acknowledge her, she shoved him again. "Doc!"

"What?!" The teen whined as he sat up and turned around to glare at his sister. 

"I wanna talk to you; about dad and Lee." 

Doc rolled his eyes and sighed as he laid back down, again turning his back on his sister. "I'm not interested." 

Jessie narrowed her eyes at him. "You go back and mom's not gonna let you have any kind of a summer vacation." She stared at his back.

Scoffing and shifting, Doc closed his eyes. "Well, I ain't gonna get one here." 

"How do you know?" Jessie poked her brother.

Doc rolled over and tossed her a "yeah, right!" look over his shoulder. He shook his head as he turned back to snuggle into his pillow and close his eyes. "I don't want to think about it. I might go home wearing a dress, or something."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "I talked to Lee and he says they don't do that sort of thing. Come on, Doc, give them a chance. I don't wanna go back home. Not yet." Getting a "hmmpf" from him, she poked him again and kept it up until he rolled back over and sat up with a huff. "Look, you whined all year about when dad was coming home or how much you hated mom and her frequent dating sprees, now you're here with Dad and you hate it because Lee isn't a chick. Right?"

"So?"

Sighing, she had to calm herself from her brother's apathy. "So, that's the only reason you hate it here. You said you wanna learn to fix up old cars, well, Lee's a mechanic. Maybe, he'd show you? You said you hate the city because it's boring, well, now we're out in the boonies of Arizona; middle of nowhere, and you're still unhappy. All because dad's dating a guy. Peter and Frankie are in Seattle and Dom's in Florida. Who're you gonna pal around with, back home? The alley rats?"

Doc scrunched his nose at her. "Been into their room, yet? They sleep together."

Jessie rounded her shoulders. "So? You still sleep with your teddy bear named 'Pookie'. It's not our business. Just be glad they're on that end of the house and we're on this end. Besides, dad's never been big on playing dress up or swinging from the ceiling fans." The more her friendly chat with her brother was supposed to be a positive one, the more it was turning sour. "Look, it doesn't bother you that Peter and Frankie's mom has a girlfriend but if dad has a boyfriend, all hell breaks loose? What's the deal?"

Doc shrugged. "It's their problem to deal with. Besides, their dad was an asshole."

Closing her eyes and bowing her head in defeat, Jessie took a moment to recoil before her rebuttal. "Point being; give them a chance. Or, you can go and I'll stay here."

Laughing throatily, Doc shook his head. "Yea, mom'll love that." Sarcasm had entered his voice.

Jessie stood up and looked at her brother. "I'm staying." She turned to walk away and tossed him an over-the-shoulder raspberry as she closed the bathroom door behind her, leaving him to turn off the light, himself.

*********

Steven sat at the table, sipping a cup of coffee and waiting for the teens' doors to open. Slowly, and groggily, they filtered out one by one. "Good morning. Grab something to eat, drink, whatever, and have a seat. We need to talk." He heard moans and grumbles come from behind him as Jessie grabbed a can of orange soda from the refrigerator and Doc slumped down into the seat across from his dad. After another sip of his coffee, Jessie slipped into a chair, to Steven's left and popped the can open. 

There was a long moment of silence between them, save for the occasional slurping of soda. "So, we're here. Now what?" Jessie yawned.

"I know you two really don't care for Lee, or that I'm not with your mother but he's really trying. Your mother and I tried for a long time to get along and it just wasn't happening. I know, it wasn't your idea to come all the way out here, away from your friends and home but, you know, sometimes change isn't that bad. Right?" Steven paused as Doc glared at him, still groggy from staying up half the night. "What is it that you don't like about Lee? Is it that he's younger? Better looking? Or that he's the same gendre as your dad?"

Both teens eyed their dad with a sleepy, plain expression. Finally, Jessie kicked her brother, under the table, and caused him to jump in pain. 

Doc raised an eyebrow. "How well do you know him, dad? When did you move in and take up the other side of the bed? Where's his family? Do they know you're gay? He could be a murderer or something, livin' out his twisted scheme to get your money and then toss your body down a sewer." His sarcasm was professionally sealed by his monotone delivery.

"I know him well enough to know that he doesn't like snow, he's allergic to peanuts, and his family owns a casino, in Nevada. His sister lives in New York and he's been trying to go back to see her. Yes, his family knows he's gay. I also know, he's not going to murder me for my money. He has his own to play with. As for the other question, that's not something we should discuss right now." Steven blinked calmly as he answered Doc's questions. "If you two want to go home, I can have you on the plane this afternoon. We just have to let your mother know." He looked from Doc to Jessie and waited for an answer from each. "Jess?"

The thirteen year old sipped her soda and shrugged. "I'll stay." She joined her dad in looking over at her brother, who sat with his elbow on the table and chin in his hand, looking bored and tired.

"Doc?"

Yawning and shrugging, agreed to stay, not because he wanted to give Lee a chance but because he couldn't go home without his sister and expect to hear the last of it.

Steven smiled. "Good. Now that that's settled, how about some breakfast? Eggs? Toast? Bacon?" He stood and looked at both of them for ideas.

**********

Doc walked outside, sometime around noon, and stood beside the postbox. He looked one direction and then slowly turned his head to the other before turning and looking to the third road option, behind him. Across from Lee's corner house was an empty field with a wire fence around it. "NO TRESPASSING: PROPERTY OF THE CITY OF TUCSON" was in a large red sign with white writing. Sweat beaded at his forehead before running down his temples. He listened and squinted as he looked up at the baby blue sky. Silence engulfed him. He strained to hear police sirens and car horns honking for various reasons but, nothing.

The door to the house across the street from them, opened and a young girl stepped out. Wearing shorts and a green bikini top and flip flops, she padded over to her postbox and opened the flap. Pulling out the post and flipping through it before she turned back to go inside, she paused as she looked up and saw Doc staring at her. Shaking her head slightly, as not to let on about the boy's wardrobe, she turned and padded back inside, long brown hair with tinges of purple tapping at her back. 

After another five minutes in the hot sun, Doc was drenched in sweat and walked back inside. Making his way over to his door, he opened it and went inside and closed the door. Kicking off his shoes and shoving them under his bed, he then moved to shut Jessie's side of the Jack and Jill washroom and locked it before he removed his black shirt and pants and started the water. When he finished his shower and put on clean clothes, he heard a knock at the carport door. He heard his dad answer the door and pulled his shirt over his head, sticking his arms through the arm holes.

Doc turned to open his bedroom door but paused as he heard a girl's voice talking to Steven. He listened to their conversation but didn't move to open the door until the girl left and Steven shut the door behind her. He opened the door and stepped out. "Who was that?"

"Huh?" Steven had turned and walked back into the kitchen to start the roast for supper. "Oh, that was Robbie. She lives across the street."

Following his dad, Doc stopped at the edge of the countre and watched his dad cut up carrots and dump them into an oval crockpot. "What'd she want?"

Steven shrugged. "She asked if Lee was free to look at her truck for her. She's a nice girl. About a few years older than you, I suppose." He placed another carrot on the cutting board and started to cut it into slices.

Doc stared at the quickly shortening vegetable. "She knows you two are gay?"

Stopping his cutting and laying the knife down beside the carrot, Steven sighed and turned to look at his son. "Yes. She knows. She lives with her brother and his husband. Just because we're gay, Brian Thomas, doesn't mean we stop knowing how to do things. I thought we settled this, this morning."

"Yea."

Steven watched his son's expression. "Good. I don't want to hear any more about it. Am I clear?"

Doc sighed and shrugged. "Fine." Pushing off from the countre, he turned and headed back to his room.

"By the way, I think you owe Lee an apology for the other night." Steven watched Doc walk away before returning to cutting the carrots and preparing the roast.

Shutting the door and flopping down on his bed, Doc lay on his right side and stared at the eggshell-coloured wall. Minutes rolled by before he eventually shut his eyes and fell asleep. He hadn't realised he was that tired until he woke up and his room was considerably darker. He heard voices coming from the living room and sat up to wake himself up more before standing up to go out for something to eat. 

Doc opened the door and squinted at the bright light of the lamp that sat on the end table, next to Steven. He found his dad and Lee sitting on the sofa, holding hands and watching a 60's sitcom about a prison camp. Raising an eyebrow at the small admission, he shrugged it off and made his way over to the refrigerator.

"I fixed you a plate. It's sitting in the microwave." Steven said from the sofa. On the next advert, he stood up and made his way over to the kitchen. "I assume you're hungry...?" Getting only a shrug as a response, Steven made his way over to the microwave, that sat in an alcove, between the two bedrooms, and opened the door to show Doc the plate he had prepared for him. "We figured you needed sleep so we left you alone. We only ate an hour ago. Jessie said it was pretty good."

Doc stared blankly at the open microwave door and sighed, tiredly. "Fine."

Steven looked at him. "Anything wrong?"

Shaking his head, Doc closed the refrigerator door and walked over to the microwave to close the door, staring at the display setting.

"Forty-five seconds to a minute should be long enough for you." Lee spoke up from the sofa. "Depending on how hot you like it."

Steven pushed the numbers and then the START button. He then made his way over to the silverware door, next to the sink, and retrieved a fork from the drawer before making his way over to the table and placing it down on the table. "Anything to drink?" He asked, looking up to see the microwave beep and Doc take his food out and carry it over to the table and sat down.

Doc shook his head and ate his meal in silence.

Watching him for a moment, Steven nodded in agreeance and made his way back to sit down beside Lee, who sat with Ziggy on his lap, stroking the iguana's tail. As he sat back down, Lee picked up Ziggy and stood up. "Where you going?"

"Gonna put him to bed and hit the rack, too. Long day." Lee yawned. He leant over and kissed Steven, not really caring that Doc had glanced over to watch them kiss.

**********

Lee stood under the spray of the large, flat showerhead and closed his eyes. He sighed as the warm water soaked his hair and ran down his body. For a while, he stood there and listened to the sound of the water, neglecting the other sounds of the room. He concentrated on breathing, hands reaching out and flattening against the wall, in front of him. Lee could hear a faint rustling sound behind him as jumped at the feel of two cool hands on his hips. Opening his eyes and turning around to see Steven had stepped into the shower with him, he offered a quick smile and a good morning kiss before turning again to reach for the shampoo bottle from the white wire caddy that hung from the showerhead mounting.

Kissing the back of Lee's right shoulder and wrapping his arms around Lee's waist, Steven snuggled his wet lover. "Where'd you go, last night? I rolled over and you were gone." Releasing the younger man before raising his hands up to massage and lather Lee's hair, he waited for the answer.

"I just- I couldn't sleep. I got up and sat outside for a bit." Lee leant his head back and reveled in Steven's massagings. 

"Mm." Steven massaged Lee's scalp before telling him to rinse and hand him the conditioner. As Lee handed the bottle of conditioner back to him, he opened the cap and dumped a small puddle into his palm before reaching past and placing the bottle back into the caddy, next to the bottle of shampoo. He then rubbed the puddle with both hands and massaged it into Lee's hair as Lee stepped back, out of the spray. 

Lee stared at the washcloth in his hands and picked up the bottle of Dial soap and poured a puddle of orange liquid into the middle of the open wet cloth. He replaced the bottle to the caddy and started to lather the puddle in his hand before rubbing it against his chest and arms. "I'll be late, tomorrow. I have to... see someone... about a family member." His head bent, watching as the soap spread along his left arm in a long trail left by the cloth. 

Steven paused in his massagings. Tilting his head and looking over Lee's left shoulder, he raised an eyebrow. "See who?"

"Just... someone."

Steven sighed. "Okay. How long are we talking?"

Lee didn't answer. Instead, he continued to soap his body until Steven moved a hand to capture his wrist and prevent him from finishing his task. 

"Something wrong?" Steven waited for him to answer. "I can stay here until the water runs cold. Trust me, I've got nothing to do until tomorrow." He raised an eyebrow as Lee turned to face him. "We promised we'd talk about things. Remember?"

Taking a breath and letting it out, slowly, Lee shared only basic info. "My sister is ill and I need to speak to someone that might get me some time to see her." He backed up, into the spray and finished his soaping as the water quickly washed it away. Turning and replacing the cloth to the hook on the shower caddy that hung from the showerhead, he turned back to see that Steven had stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Lee's waist.

With a smirk, Steven leant in and kissed Lee. "You are truly a man of mystery." By then, the water had started cooling off and he laughed as Lee shivered at the sudden chill of the water. Reaching behind the other man and turning the water off, Steven then shoved the curtain aside and reached for the folded towel that lay on the toilet lid. He helped Lee dry himself before hanging the damp towel over the curtain rod and leading him back into the bedroom. The two made their way over to the bed as Steven sat down on the edge and stared up at Lee. "You uh, going to get dressed any time soon?"

"That was the plan, yes." Lee nodded.

Steven hmmed. "Well, you can do it later." With a coy smile and a wink, he interlaced his fingers with Lee's and leant back to pull the younger man on top of him. Smiling, he rolled them over so that he was on top and started kissing along Lee's neck, down to his collarbone, gaining a soft gasp from his lover. A few more kisses before backing away to retrieve a condom and KY from the bedside table, he took a moment to apply them to his now erect manhood and then move to hover over Lee as he slipped himself gently into the man's body with a welcomed moan of pleasure. He could feel hands fisting into his hair as he thrust in and slid out, rhythmic panting started as they kissed and held on to each other.

They lay crossways on the bed, near the end, and panted as they enjoyed their subtle play. Lee's pants and moans urged Steven on until neither could stand the friction and came, one after the other. An open-mouthed sigh as Lee held on whilst Steven's trusts slowed and finally came to a stop. Their tongues volleyed in each other's mouth.

Removing himself and panting as he lie beside his lover, Steven reached over and wiped a bead of sweat from Lee's temple. "I've waited all day to do that."

Lee closed his eyes and smiled. "It was worth the wait."

 

Continued.


End file.
